1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet printer, and more particularly, to an ink-jet printer having a compact structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an ink-jet printer is an apparatus in which an ink cartridge is mounted on a carriage to move in a horizontal direction and eject ink onto a surface of paper to print an image or a character.
In the ink-jet printer, there are two conventional paper transferring methods. In a first paper transferring method, a paper supply cassette on which paper is stacked is installed to be inclined with respect to a rear side of a frame. The paper is transferred to a printing unit by a pickup roller to be printed and then is exhausted (discharged) to an exhaust unit disposed at a front side of the frame. In a second paper transferring method, the paper supply cassette on which the paper is stacked is installed at a lower portion of the frame, and the paper is transferred to the printing unit by the pickup roller to be printed and then is exhausted to the exhaust unit disposed at an upper portion of the paper supply cassette.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of an ink-jet printer using the first paper transferring method, respectively. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the ink-jet printer includes a paper supply cassette 11 containing paper P, a pickup roller 12 picking up the paper P, a feed roller 13 transferring the paper P, a printing unit printing the paper P, and an exhaust plate 16 to which the printed paper P is exhausted.
The paper supply cassette 11 is installed to be inclined with respect to a rear side of a printer frame 20. The paper P stacked on the paper supply cassette 11 is picked up by the pickup roller 12, is transferred to the feed roller 13, and then is transferred to an ink cartridge 14 of the printing unit by the feed roller 13. The ink cartridge 14 mounted on a carriage (not shown) moves right and left along a guide shaft (not shown) and ejects ink onto the paper P through a print head to perform a printing process. Finally, the paper P is stacked on the exhaust plate 16 installed at a front side of the printer frame 20 through an exhaust unit 17 by an exhaust roller 15.
In the ink-jet printer having the above structure, since the paper supply cassette 11 on which the paper P is stacked is installed at the rear side of the printer frame 20, a height of the ink-jet printer is increased. As a result, a large space is required to accommodate the ink-jet printer.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are an external perspective view and an internal perspective view of an ink-jet printer using the second paper transferring method, respectively. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a paper supply cassette 21 on which a paper P is stacked is installed at a lower portion of a front side of a printer frame 30. A feed roller (not shown) driven by a line feed motor 31 is installed at an entrance of a printer frame 30. The paper P stacked on the paper supply cassette 21 is picked up by a pickup roller, a friction roller (not shown) is installed to be in contact with an upper side of the feed roller, an exhaust roller (not shown) rotates by a rotation force from the feed roller and is installed along a paper transferring path, and a star wheel (not shown) is installed at an upper portion of the exhaust roller.
The star wheel that is in contact with the exhaust roller applies a predetermined pressure to the paper P so that the paper P travels in a predetermined direction, and the exhaust roller rotates at the same linear velocity as that of the feed roller by a rotation force of the feed roller. An ink cartridge 24 that moves right and left by a carriage motor 32 along a guide shaft 33 and performs a printing process onto the paper P is installed along the paper transferring path between the feed roller and the exhaust roller, and an exhaust plate 26 on which the printed paper P is stacked is installed at an upper portion of the paper supply cassette 21.
In the above structure of the ink-jet printer, the paper P picked up by the pickup roller from the paper supply cassette 21 is transferred by the feed roller and by the friction roller, and the printing process is performed by the ink cartridge 24 installed between the feed roller and the exhaust roller. Next, the paper P is exhausted by the exhaust roller and the star wheel and then is stacked on the exhaust plate 26 installed at the upper portion of the paper supply cassette 21.
In the conventional ink-jet printer, since the ink cartridge 24 is disposed on the paper P transferred to the exhaust roller, a height of the printer frame 30 is increased. As a result, a large space is required to accommodate the conventional ink-jet printer.